The modern enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform has been a clear benefit for large companies off the bat. All departments across a business can work in a connected way, freeing up time and costs.  So why haven’t more small and mid-market businesses (SMBs) made the switch yet? Simply put, SMBs usually run their operations with a mixture of manual processes, various spreadsheets and software, and disconnected point solutions because they don’t have the same amount of resources as larger companies. But no matter the size, ERP systems would make any sized business run smoothly. SAP expert Brian Mortimer shares an article on Forbes explaining why SMBs would benefit from modern ERP systems. More specifically, cloud-based ERP platforms would keep even the smallest company’s network of employees connected and up to date on current information. Mortimer points our that businesses recognize that an ERP platform will help a company have a tighter grip of their entire business, improve cashflow, fast-track reporting, and make it easier to comply with regulations. Modern cloud-based ERP systems are the key to continue your business’ growth. SMBs, Mortimer says, would do well to consider a modern ERP platform that will provide the process efficiencies enjoyed by larger competitors, as well as data-driven insights and agility for scale and innovation.

 

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The 2020 pandemic’s dramatic shift to online commerce has prompted many B2B buyers to want companies to offer new ways to access their services and products at an experience that’s easy and simple. Companies need to meet these expectations head on or risk losing business to competitors. Business development executive Denise Purtzer shares an article on Destination CRM of a strategic solution to this approach. She suggests forming strategic partnerships with other businesses to create an ecosystem that delivers what your customers want, so they don’t have to seek out what they need from your competitors. If you choose your partners carefully, Purtzer notes, you can give your customers what they want without making major investments in developing new lines of business or new in-house CX initiatives. This strategy of company-to-company partnerships is helpful for adding new services that complement your existing offerings and help your customers accomplish their goals. There are many areas in your business that make this cost effective and beneficial that Purtzer highlights.

Support for self-service buying. “If your business still relies on the catalog-and-sales-call method, one of the most impactful partnerships you could make might be with a B2B e-commerce platform that integrates with your current product catalog so that your customers can research products and services and place orders online quickly at any time, the way they shop in their personal lives. A good e-commerce partner will offer a constellation of its own partners to help you build out your self-service portal, such as design, content, SEO, and user experience services, so you don’t have to find, vet and hire all those providers on your own.”

End-to-end services. “If you offer e-commerce services, take a look at where your customers need more support during their own sales cycles. For example, you might partner with digital marketing service providers to help them drive traffic to their websites and also partner with returns management services to ease their return logistics burden.”

Complementary services. “If your business serves customers in a vertical that requires specialized knowledge from service providers like inventory and supply-chain management, bookkeeping and accounting, maintenance, logistics coordination, regulatory compliance or cybersecurity, you and the service providers you already use might benefit from setting up referral partnerships.”

Purtzer notes that the most successful partnerships build and create value over time. This kind of long-term benefit requires defined roles, ongoing communication and the willingness and ability of both partners to keep up with their customers’ needs.

 

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Your IT department will be busy during an Acquisition.

Once the decision is made which system will be the surviving system – yours or the acquisition’s system – that is when your IT department will get even busier. They may even be involved with comparing the systems and determining which might be the better system to consolidate the data into.

The obvious part your IT department will play is data extraction and data mapping for the data that needs to copied and converted from the sunsetting system and moving it to the surviving system. All of your interfaces need to be reviewed to determine which of those need to be moved or adjusted to continue “talking” to the surviving system.

When considering an acquisition there are many considerations. Some of these are:

How much history needs to be converted from the sunsetting system and moved to the surviving system?

How will historic transactions continue to be accessed from the sunsetting system when needed?

Coordination between IT departments (acquiring company and acquired organization) on current interfaces and how they will be handled in the combined organization.

Make sure to start with a BRD – Business Requirement Document – so you have a road map of what is expected throughout the process. This helps all involved – the acquired company, the acquiring company and any partner you may engage – know what is expected from all parties.

Accor IMEA, an augmented hospitality leader, is transforming its accounting systems with Infor SunSystems, a powerful financial management solution, on AWS. This transformation will benefit the business from an anticipated rebound in the region’s hospitality sector as a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Per the press release, Accor has deployed Infor SunSystems to develop its new chart of accounts, and to manage and automate the finances for its hotels in the India, Middle East, Africa and Turkey region. The switch from an on-premise to a cloud solution will help the hospitality business standardize its systems, and improve overall efficiency, oversight and security. Further, Accor will streamline its budgeting and forecasting processes, enabling hotel managers to improve their ability to plan ahead. It will drastically reduce downtime caused by hardware problems and software updates.

 

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If you have AD FS configured with one or more Claims Provider Trusts, you may want to force the user’s browser to load one of those CPT’s instead of loading the main AD FS screen that provides them a choice. This is accomplished using the Set-AdfsRelyingPartytrust command in PowerShell. On the main AD FS server, open PowerShell as administrator. Run the command Set-AdfsRelyingPartyTrust -TargetName <the name of your RPT> -ClaimsProviderName @(“<the name of your CPT>”).

For example, before making the change, users are presented with a choice of AD FS logins. In this example, one is the main AD FS instance, and the other is the Claims Provider Trust.

And after the change, the user will automatically be directed to the login for the claims provider trust (so there is no need for them to make a selection).

Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare in St. Paul, Minnesota recently selected Infor CloudSuite Healthcare for financial and supply chain management. In 2020, Gillette was in search for a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution with healthcare-specific capabilities that would clinical integration and less reliance on third-party applications as well as a single source of truth for reporting analysis. Today’s healthcare environment relies on mobility as the key to ensuring current information is at hand, enabling accurate, informed decisions. Which is what led to Gillette choosing Infor. Working alongside implementation partner Bails & Associates, the organization will implement a scalable, sustainable, and forward looking solution. Per the press release, Infor CloudSuite, built on Amazon Web Services® (AWS), will deliver embedded analytics and industry-specific functionality, and will enable employees to reduce manual data processes, quickly answer critical business questions, and analyze business performance and scenario planning. Further, industry-specific financial capabilities will help Gillette reduce data-entry redundancies and produce more accurate and timely reports. This provides transparency that leads to improved budget management, effective cost-reduction strategies and more accurate forecasting.

 

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Your IT department will be busy during a merger.

Once the decision is made which system will be the surviving system that is when your IT department will get even busier. They may even be involved with comparing the systems and determining which might be the better system to consolidate the data into.

The obvious part your IT department will play is data extraction and data mapping for the data that needs to copied and converted from the sunsetting system and moving it to the surviving system. All of your interfaces need to be reviewed to determine which of those need to be moved or adjusted to continue “talking” to the surviving system.

When considering an acquisition there are many considerations. Some of these are:

How much history needs to be converted from the sunsetting system and moved to the surviving system?

How will historic transactions continue to be accessed from the sunsetting system when needed?

Coordination between IT departments on current interfaces and how they will be handled in the combined organization.

If your IT department is already taxed, consider taking on a partner to assist with the process.

Make sure to start with a BRD – Business Requirement Document – so you have a road map of what is expected throughout the process. This helps all involved – both companies and any partner you may engage – know what is expected from all parties.

Long time Infor customer Calvert County has seen success with Infor’s cloud-based public sector solutions. The Washington, D.C. suburb needed a new technology solution that could help teams quickly distribute funding received through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to support businesses and nonprofits. Per the press release,  Calvert County had to quickly create a brand-new, public-facing process that was easy to navigate, able to facilitate a solid audit trail for funds attribution, and ready within days in order to complete allocations to businesses in need. Using Infor Public Sector solutions, Calvert County was able to create a new program within four weeks to support its constituents in need. Further, the tech giant helped Calvert County utilize the Infor Field Inspector application, which delivers more functionality in the field to allow its teams to resume operations promptly and more efficiently, even during the pandemic lockdown, providing better service to constituents.

 

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Occasionally there may be a need to revert to an earlier version of a WAS fix pack. The IBM Installation Manager has a “Roll Back” feature that works just for this purpose.

To roll back WAS, first stop all running IBM services. Then, open the IBM Installation Manager. Select “Roll Back”.

Choose the package to uninstall

Select the version to roll back to.

Click “Roll Back”

Verify a successful rollback, and click “Finish”. Be sure to go and roll back any other packages that are applicable.